Senator Mazie K. Hirono announced today $2.8 million in funding for the University of Hawaii’s Pacific Island Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) to help Hawaii’s coastal communities prepare for large wave and high tide events.

“Hawaii is seeing firsthand the effects of climate change and coastal erosion,” said Hirono in a press release. “By improving our ability to track and predict rising ocean levels and dangerous tides, this funding will help Hawaii communities prepare for the effects of coastal erosion.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding will allow PacIOOS to develop and enhance forecasting and modeling tools for Hawaii’s coastal communities, with $2.3 million going toward enhancing existing ocean monitoring in Hawaii and the U.S. Insular Pacific over the next five years.

Another $500,000 would help PacIOOS develop new information and real-time tools to forecast flooding on West Maui, which would be replicated for other communities in Hawaii and the Pacific islands.